Annual Philadelphia Antiques Show For three days...

BEST BETS

April 04, 2002|By Tricia Bishop

Annual Philadelphia Antiques Show

For three days (tomorrow through Sunday), Philadelphia's Navy Pier turns into antique central as 69 specialists and dealers set up shop for the annual Philadelphia Antiques Show. Goods include ceramics, furniture, Oriental rugs, garden gear, art, jewelry and period accessories. A gourmet cafe will be serving epicurean eats.

Two lectures are planned: an interior design trend report (Friday at noon) and a lecture on antique jewelry and its place in period fashion (Sunday at noon). A free appraisal clinic will be held from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; bring up to two items for assessment.

The show will be held April 5, 6 and 7 in Philadelphia's Naval Business Center (5100 S. Broad St.). Hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $15 Friday and $10 on the weekend. For information and directions, call 215-462-4400 or go to www.barnstar.com/pnp.htm.

Decoy buy-sell-swap meet in St. Michaels

Decoys aren't just about nabbing ducks; they're folk art, says James Trimble, treasurer of the East Coast Decoy Collectors club, which is holding its annual buy-sell-swap meet tomorrow and Saturday in St. Michaels.

"We've had some sell for $500,000 and $600,000," Trimble says, "There are some very good artisans out there."

This year's show won't have anything quite in that price range, but it will have nearly every imaginable duck, goose and shorebird decoy on display or on sale (most will sell for less than $1,000 - some a lot less, some a little more) along with a couple of auction houses on site scoping out the goods.

Decoy collectors are encouraged to bring along their favorites for free identification and appraisal.

This year's meet is being held from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. April 5 and 6 at the St. Michaels Motor Inn/Best Western (1228 Talbot St.; 410-745-3333). Admission is free. At 6 p.m. Saturday, everyone's invited to the nearby Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum for an oyster cookout; $25 a head (Mill Street at Navy Pier; 410-745-2916). For meet information, call John Clayton at 732-255-6291.